Lined with history and authentic cuisine, the North Clinton neighborhood has been the center of Hispanic culture in Rochester for the past seventy years. The pipeline running through the city and into Henrietta is truly a conduit for international communities.
In the heart of North Clinton, across from St. Michael’s Church, is the International Plaza—a space working to highlight and bring importance to the area through events and vendors. Jason Barber grew up in the community and has been the site manager of the plaza for a little over a year.
“We have events such as International Salsa Day and Dominican Day, but we’re also a business incubator space,” Barber says. “For the past four years, we’ve had specifically immigrant-owned businesses operate in the space; we have Mexican, Colombian, Puerto Rican, and Venezuelan vendors . . . the list goes on. I’m Cuban-American; my family moved to Avenue D in the ’70s—I’ve known Chilean, Dominican, Mexican, and Honduran families that have all arrived, and the first place they lived when they moved to Rochester was in this neighborhood.”
Highlighted Mexican food is often Americanized Mexican food. The same goes for other international eats as well. Each of the businesses listed in this guide are immigrant-owned and serve authentic cuisine.
“If you look at Henrietta, you can see where the large Asian and Pan-Asian markets are,” Barber says. “There is immensely diverse food—Nepali, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indian. In South Clinton, there’s Shiki, which in my opinion is one of the best sushi restaurants. Keep going North, there’s Georgie’s Bakery, White Swans Asia Cafe, Borinquen Bakery . . . we should be embracing that the Clinton Aves are literally the passageways of the world in Rochester.”
While there are endless spots with a variety of dishes, Barber shared some of his top picks when on a Clinton Ave food stroll.
North Clinton Spots
First on the list is Borinquen Bakery (1195 N. Clinton Ave.).
“I go to Borinquen Bakery because it has the best bodega style breakfast sandwich in Rochester,” Barber says. “They do a good Cuban, and they also have really good bread. Some people go for the bread, some for the sweets or the desserts.”
He had me at breakfast sandwich.
You pick between medium or large and essentially customize the sandwich however you want. I went with the classic bacon, egg, and cheese, and it did not disappoint. The sandwich comes wrapped in thick parchment paper on a toasted roll and is extremely soft— but not too soft. Biting into it made me love the sandwich before I even tasted it. I chose mayo instead of butter and honestly had no complaints. It was a perfect, classic, bodega-style sandwich, just as Barber described.
Borinquen also serves endless pastries—I had to try some. Its two most popular are the pastelillo, a pastry puff filled with guava, and the quesito, a pastry puff filled with cream cheese. I loved how airy the pastelillo was—crunchy, powdered bites with guava pouring out. It was tangy but sweet. I was surprised how much I loved it. The quesito, on the other hand, was soft but not airy. It was thicker and a little chewier but in a good way. It melted in my mouth. I’m not sure if I could pick between the two, but if you’ve never tried a pastry with guava, it is hands down a must.
Vendors at the International Plaza (825 N. Clinton Ave.):
Barber’s go-to’s at Di Mi Tierra are Colombian bread and tamales.
It’s Colombian Almojabana, which is traditional cheese bread, looks to die for.
The Tolimense Colombian tamale has pork rib, bacon, chicken, carrot, egg, yellow peas, potato, and rice dough, and it comes ready for you to dig in. I would also recommend trying the Colombian Cheese and Italian Basil Pesto Empanada.
Next in the plaza is New Generation Meats. This restaurant has been at the plaza the longest out of all the current vendors, and offers a variety of empanadas, fried plate combos, and alcapurria—Puerto Rican fritters made with a dough of grated green bananas and taro root and stuffed with meat. NG is known for their empanadas; I had to try one. The chicken empanada stuffed with sofrito—a mixture of shredded chicken, spices, garlic, onions, and many other ingredients—was fabulous. I had never tried an empanada before, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was packed with so much flavor it didn’t even need a sauce. However, I did try it dipped in hot sauce, and I will say it was a nice touch. Owner Yasmin Taouil explained how she keeps the prices simple: Any empanada with a side of any sauce is only three dollars and fifty cents.
NG also serves ice cream—which Barber loves. I couldn’t resist trying some. You get a large bowl for five dollars, and the best part—sprinkles are free. I know that sounds simple, but for sprinkle lovers (me), it’s amazing. I devoured a cup of mint chip with rainbow sprinkles in the pouring rain and highly recommend it in any weather.
One more stop at the Plaza that’s a must is La Parada de Salinas. Barber’s go-to are the Papas Rellenas, which are fried stuffed potatoes.
Outside of the plaza, one last recommendation in the North Clinton area is El Pilon Criollo (973 N. Clinton Ave.). Barber’s favorites include pernil, carne frita, and cuajito.
South Clinton Cuisine
Barber has three spots in the South Clinton part of the neighborhood that he recommends.
Shiki If you like sushi, this is the place to go. They have endless options—rolls, noodle soups, sides, and desserts.
1054 South Clinton Ave.
White Swans Asia Cafe
All the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Asian food your heart could desire.
798 South Clinton Ave.
Zemeta Ethiopian Restaurant
1015 South Clinton Ave.
Honorable Mentions Atlas Eats
2185 North Clinton Ave.
Amaya Indian Cuisine
1900 South Clinton Ave.
Seoul Drop
900 South Clinton Ave., STE 410
Sobrinos
1456 North Clinton Ave.
“As a Latino, I would say food is the entryway into American culture,” Barber says. “It’s our way of showing our identity and bringing you home. Through the stomach is to the heart. All my vendors have said multiple times, ‘We just want to make authentic food for our community—stuff that our families loved, and people grew up with.’ They’re making something that’s saying this is my home, welcome.
“It’s a difficult time to be an immigrant, and it’s important for people to understand what we give to this country.”
More information on the International Plaza can be found on Facebook and Instagram at @theinternationalplazaroc, or the web.
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of (585).
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